Electric igniter for motors.



No. 695,32l.

Patented Mar. ll, I902. W. A. MAYBACH.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR MOTORS.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1901.)

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(No Modei.)

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'm. 695,32I. Pa tentod Mar. u, I902. w. A. MAYBACH.

ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR MOTORS.

(Application filed Mn. 98, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

\VILHELM A. MAYBAOH, OF OANNSTADT, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO DAIMLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC lGNlTER FOR MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,321, dated March 1 1, 1902.

Application filed March 28, 1901. Serial No. 53,342. (No model.)

relatively to the position of the piston of the engine within the cylinder.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by which the spark may be formed between the electrodes within the engine-cylinder at a time either earlier or later than under normal conditions, said device also simultaneously moving the armature of the electric-spark generator forward or backward to correspond to the earlier or later formation of the spark. These objects I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of an electric generator for the production of a spark, showing the mechanism of my invention as used in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with part of the inechansim removed and the gear-wheels of the generator shown diagrammatically. Fig. 3 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. at is a modification of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a part of the engine-cylinder, showing the electrodes between which the spark is formed; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken through the cylinder of a gas-engine, to which myinvention has been applied.

In the above drawings, P represents the bed or foundation-casting of a gas-engine having a cylinder 2), provided with a piston p, coupled to a crank h on a main shaft 1) by means of a connecting-rod p the said shaft having a fiy-wheel 19 The cylinder has any desired form of mechanism for the inlet of air and fuel and for the exhaust of the gases of combustion, together with suitable contacts between which a spark is formed for the purpose of periodically igniting the mixture of fuel and air within said cylinder. These contacts are operated and the electric current for the spark is generated by the following apparatus which constitutes my invention.

As shown in the drawings, A is an electric generator of any approved type for supplying the current used in forming the spark, and it consists of a magnet to, pole-pieces a a, and a driving-shaft (6 on which is an armature a This armature is so wound and the mechanism hereinafter to be described is so arranged that a spark is formed and cur rent flows only when the armature is in a certain definite position with regard to the pole-pieces a a. A skew gear-wheel a is keyed to the shaft (L2, and this meshes with a second skew gear-wheel b on the main shaft 1) of the engine. Keyed to the shaft Z) is a cam b having on it a projection b constructed to periodically come in contact with a roller 0, which is held at one end of a rod c. The other end of this red is connected to alever (Z on a rod (1, extending through the wall of the enginecylinder 1) and having on it a contact-piece (P. This latter is made to touch a contactsnrface on the end of a rod (1 which also passes through the cylinder-wall while being electrically insulated therefrom by an insulating-bushing (Z' in a manner well known in the art. A bell-crank lever e, suitably supported, has one arm e connected to a link f, which is also attached to the roller end of the rod 0. The other arm e" of this lever is L shaped in the present instance and is pivotaliy connected toa slide g. This slide is constructed to move up and down on an arm h, pivoted to a support at 7L, the other end of said arm being connected by a link i to an arm j, keyed to an operating-shaft y'. The said shaft is supported in suitable bearings and has attached to it any desired device by which an operator may turn itin its bearings to a limited extent. Also keyed to the shaft j is a second arm j which is connected bya link Z to an arm 7c, pivoted to the engine-frame at 7;. The arm 7.; has a roller or block m pivotcd to it, as shown, and this projects between the flanges of a collar n on a sleeve 12, loosely 10o splined to the shaft 1). This sleeve carries the gear-wheel b, and it will be noted that the gear-wheel a is made with a face of greater width than that of the wheel b. The sleeve is constructed to be moved on the shaft 1) by the movement of the arm to an extent not exceeding the difference in width of the faces of the two gear-wheels a and b.

In operation should it be desired to cause the spark to be formed between the electrodes d and d earlier relatively to the stroke of the engine the operating-rodj would be turned slightly in its hearings in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This motion would cause the slide g, with the arm e of the lever e, to be slightly raised, and this would move the end of the rod 0, with the roller 0,

- into such a position that it would be engaged inder at a time earlier in the stroke of the piston. The movement of the shaft 7' which has caused the above action has also caused the arm 70 to move on its pivot, thus sliding the sleeve n with its gear-wheel b on the shaft 1). Owing to the fact that the teeth of the gear-wheels are set at an angle to the axis of the shafts on which said wheels are held the longitudinal movement of the wheel I) will cause a slight movement of the wheel a on its axis, thus moving the armature forward and placing its windings relatively to the pole-pieces in a position best suited for the simultaneous production of the spark at an earlier period in the stroke of the piston of the engine. Similarly, if desired, the shaft j may be moved in a direction the reverse of the above, thus delaying the formation of the igniting-spark in the engine-cylinder until a relatively later period of the stroke. The object of thus making the sparks in the engins-cylinder at an earlier or later period than normal is to cause the explosion to take place before or after the combustible charge has been wholly admitted and mixed therein and by this means varying the speed of the engine. I

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the means for changing the position of the generator-armature relatively to the other rotating parts of the mechanism, the same consisting of a broad and a narrow gear-wheel of the ordinary type, the latter supported on a sleeve which has a keyway constructed to receive a key on the shaft 1), spirally placed. On moving the wheel b longitudinally there will then be a slight turning of the same, which will also move the wheel a and alter the position of the armature of the generator relatively to its pole-pieces.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of an electric generator, having an armature and a shaft therefor, a driving-shaft, a gear-wheel on each of said shafts, electrodes, mechanism operated from the driving-shaft for causing a spark to be formed between the same, an operating-shaft and mechanism connecting said shaft both with the gear-wheels and with the means for causing a spark to pass between the electrodes, whereby, when said operating-shaft is turned, the spark will be formed at a period of time different from that at which it normally occurs and the position of the gearwheels is altered relatively to the drivingshaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an electric generafor having an armature and a shaft therefor, a gear-wheel thereon, a driving shaft, a gearwheel loosely mounted on the same meshing with the gear-wheel on the armature-shaft, electrodes, a cam on the driving-shaft, and mechanism transmitting motion from said cam to one of the electrodes, an operatingshaft, mechanism connecting said shaft with the mechanism for moving one of the electrodes, other mechanism connecting the operating-shaft to the gear on the driving-shaft whereby when said shaft is moved, the mechanism for operating the electrode will be brought into contact with the cam at a time other than that at which said contact would normally have occurred, and the said gearwheel will be moved longitudinally and cause movement of the armature-shaft relatively to the driving-shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an electric generator having an armature and a shaft therefor, a gear-wheel on said shaft, a driving-shaft, a sleeve having a collar carrying a gear-wheel transmitting motion to the gear-wheel on the armature-shaft, said sleeve being keyed to said shaft, but movable longitudinally thereon, a cam also on the driving-shaft, electrodes, and a rod carrying a roller for operating the electrodes so as to cause a spark to pass between them, said roller being constructed to be periodically engaged by the cam, an operating-shaft, mechanism connecting the same to the movable sleeve and other mechanism connecting it to the roller operated on by the cam, the same acting, when the operating-shaft is turned, to cause a spark to be formed at a time differing from that at which it normally occurs and also'causes the armature to be moved relatively to the drivingshaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, WILHELM A. MAYBAOH.

Witnesses:

' WM. HAHN,

HR. REICHARDT. 

